Lawn sweeper and material disintegrator



May 4, 1954 F. w. SCHWARZ LAWN SWEEPER AND MATERIAL DISINTEGRATOR Filedaanfzz. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w m m m NW May 4, 1954 F. w. SCHWARZ ,677,

LAWN SWEEPER AND MATERIAL DISINTEGRATOR Filed Jan. 22, 1952 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

F7477 14/ Sciwarz 73 y 5AM Wk May 4, 1954 F. w. SCHWARZ 2,677,223

LAWN SWEEPER AND MATERIAL DISINTEGRATOR Filed Jan. 22, 1952 3Sheets-Sheet 3 l o o [I];

f l nlllill INVENTOR. E E flan/Z ScZwarZ Patented May 4, 1954 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE LAWN SWEEPER AND MATERIAL DISINTEGRATOR Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved device for gatheringleaves, mown grass, twigs, sticks, etc, that collect on lawns or surfaceareas, grinding and disintegrating the gathered material, and thendistributing the finely reduced product back upon the cleared surface asa fer tilizing mulch.

'In addition to the leaf gathering feature, the device may simply betransformed into a seeder and spreader for grass or other crops, byattaching thereto a hopper member which allows the passage of seedthrough the device and distributes it upon the area to be sown.

The above and other features will be seen from the following moredetailed description, and from the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation with parts thereof broken away toshow the interior of the device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view with the motor removed.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on a reduced scale substantially on line l--tof Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on a reduced scale substantially on line ,.5of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a modification of the device showing a hopper mounted on topof the intake nozzle to hold seed.

Z is a side elevation of an alternate form of the invention; and

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, the device is a what might be termed abuilt-up structure of light gauge sheet steel, or the like, i. e.,wherein a front rear nozzle are secured to a disintegrator or crushingchamber and this entire unit may be detachably secured, by means of apower shaft, to separate power unit.

A crushing chamber 10, the same being formed as a tube, open at bothends, is provided, to one end of which is secured, by means of Parkerscrews, or the like, for easy removal, a front intake nozzle ii. Asshown best in Figs. 2 and 3, intake nozzle 5 i is formed to provide awide somewhat narrcw housing, open at the bottom thereof to receive thematter to be picked up, and having a side or back opening therein tocorrespond to one open end of chamber ID, so that when the front nozzleis connected to the crushing chamher, the matter passing up throughnozzle I i will pass into chamber It. Spot-welded to the other end ofchamber it is an exhaust nozzle It, the

same being formed as a housing, open at the bottom to exhaust the mulchafter the same has passed through crushing chamber H3. Nozzle It alsohas an opening therein corresponding to the diameter of chamber I 0, sothat when the two are welded together, matter being processed can passthereinto. The exhaust nozzle has greater area than the intake nozzle iI, for a purpose later to be described, and also has provided in theback thereof a bearing opening 4|. So that the entire assembled unit maybe moved from place to place, a pair or" wheel brackets 13, M, areprovided, the same being suitably secured to the lower portions ofnozzles H and I2, and being adapted to receive a pair of supportingwheels I5, 16, Fig. 3.

Suitably mounted, as by bolts or the like, within crusher chamber I0, isa spider bearing bracket ii, the same, as shown best in Fig. 5, havingthree supporting arms. Another bearing member i8 is secured to theexterior of exhaust nozzle 12, said bearing members ll, i8, beingadapted to support and journal a power shaft l9. On the forward end ofshaft 59, adjacent intake nozzle H, a fan 25 is suitably mounted andsecured, as with a set screw, and immediately back of spider bearing iiare mounted on shaft it a pair of crusher blades 2!, 22, the same beingsecured by means of set screws, and having flat blade surfaces, saidblades being made of cast iron with chilled cutting edges to resistabrasive action of matter being reduced within crushing chamber It, asshown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the face of the crusher blades isoffset from the center line of the fan shaft giving a shearing actionbetween the blades and the material being processed. These blades aremounted so that no two of the blades are in longitudinal alignment.Immediately to the rear of crusher blades 22, a baiiie screen m mber 23is provided, said screen having formed thereon a peripheral flange '65,of the same material, said flange being slightly wider than crusherblades 22. Said screen 23 has a central opening therethrough to allowpower shaft E9 to pass and rotate freely and the screen and flange arespot welded to the inner periphery of chamber l0. Immediately back ofbafiie screen 23, a booster fan 2d is mounted and secured on power shaft59. Another strip of expanded metal 6 i, Fig. 2, is spot welded to theinner periphery of chamber 19, said strip being slightly wider thanblades 2 i.

A power unit is provided, the same being separated from the crushingunit, and consisting of a base 25 having the sides thereof turned downto form a pair of opposed skirts or brackets 25 adapted to receive axle21, said axle 2I rotatably supporting a pair of wheels 28', 29. Base hasmounted thereon a plate 39 to which a motor 3| is secured to hold samerigidly upon said base. Secured to the bottom of said base 25 are twopillow blocks 32, 33, having standard set-collars thereon, Fig. 2. Motor3| has a take-off shaft 34, to which is secured a belt pulley 35.Another pulley 36 is provided, the same being adapted to be secured topower shaft I9 by a set screw or the like, and driving belt 31 isprovided to provide a belt run between pulleys 35 and 35. A handle 38 issuitably secured to the power unit so that the user may push the devicefrom place to place when operating same.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings there is disclosed an alternate form of theinvention wherein a hopper member 39 is provided, the same being thewidth of intake nozzle II, and suitably secured to the top thereof. Toallow seed to pass from the hopper into intake nozzle II there areprovided a plurality of openings, preferably staggered, in the bottom ofthe hopper, and the top of the nozzle II, and a slide 46 being providedhaving corresponding openings therein so that the slide may be movedback and forth to open or close said openings and allow seed to passtherethrough or to close the hopper openings when the user is throughseeding.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings there is disclosed another alternateform of the invention wherein a separate power unit is dispensed withand the crusher unit is self-contained, the same having brackets securedto nozzles H and I2 to rotatably support wheels I5. I6, 23 and 2s. Abracket 55 is mounted on top of exhaust nozzle I2 to support an electricmotor 59, or other source of power, if desired. A pulley Si is securedto the armature shaft of motor 50, and a pulley 52 is secured to one endof power shaft IS. A belt run 53 is provided to rotate shaft I9 whenmotor 50 is in operation. Handles 38 are secured to the sides of bracket55 to provide means for pushing the unit from place to place.

The manner in which the device operates is as follows:

As described above, the device consists of two sections, a crushingsection and a power unit, and the crusher section may be quicklydisengaged from the power unit by simply removing pulley 36 from shaftI9, loosening set screws in set collars in pillow blocks 32, 33, and thecrusher section may be then moved from the power unit for cleaning,shipment or storage. To engage the two units the protruding portion ofpower shaft I9 is simply threaded through pillow blocks 33, 32, setcollars tightened, pulley 35 moved in place on shaft i9, and set screwtightened, then belt 3'! slipped over pulleys 35, 38. A gasoline typemotor is shown Fig. 1, but any type of power may be used, just so longas the source of power provides suificient revolutions per minute tocreate the necessary crushing action and vacuum to thoroughlydisintegrate the material being processed. The only mechanicalconnection between the crusher unit and the power unit is the powershaft I8 supported by bearing I8 and the first pillow block 33. Thistype of coupling allows either the power unit or the crusher unit torotate freely and follow the unevenness of the ground and allows for theintake and exhaust nozzles to remain parallel at all times with theground, and provides uniform pick-up and distribution and ease ofoperation to a great extent. For example, one wheel of the power unitmight be in a depression in the ground while the crusher unit remainedon fairly flat ground, or vice versa. With this type of connection 44,the intake nozzle remains parallel with the surface over which it ispassing. To assure uniform pick-up and distribution of a machine of thischaracter, it becomes very important to keep the intake and exhaustnozzles always parallel with the ground.

As pulley 35' is rotated, power is imparted to pulley 36 through beltrun 31, and inasmuch as pulley 36 is secured to power shaft I9, saidshaft is rotated. Fan 29, cutter blades 2| and 22, and fan 24 are allsecured to shaft I9, and rotate in unison therewith on account of thesame having an horizontal common rotatable power shaft I9. Intake nozzleII, which is open throughout the extent of its bottom, and which openbottom is positioned to travel close to the ground surface as themachine is propelled over the ground in its use, once power shaft I9 isrotated at ample speed, a draft of air is drawn in through the bottomflared portion, and into chamber III. This draft of air, formed by therotating fans, produces a partial vacuum causing grass, leaves, twigs,etc., to pass up through nozzle I I into crushing chamher II] where fan20 blows them against the rotating crusher blades 2I, 22. Inasmuch as notwo of these blades are in longitudinal alignment, the picked-up matteris shredded into small particles by said blades. At times, while themachine is operating, centrifugal packing will occur, which is caused bymaterial being processed bunching between the ends of blades 2 I, 22 andthe smooth inner periphery of chamber ID and stopping the machine. Thisis overcome by means of peripheral flange 60 of bafile screen 23, whichenvelops blades 22, and strip SI, which envelops blades 2 I, both flangeand strip BI being slightly wider than blades 22 and 2| and being formedof the same material as screen 23, said material producing intermittentcontours which in turn break up the material being processed to such anextent that it is enabled to pass the blades and enter screen 23'.Inasmuch as booster fan 24 is also rotating at the same speed as fan 20,the chopped matter is further drawn against screen 23 which acts as abaflle to stop the passage of chopped matter which has not beensufficiently disintegrated. The suction caused by booster fan 24 causesthe chopped matter to be thrown against baffle screen 23, which screenin turn rejects the larger pieces that have passed the crusher bladesand the air stream in the chamber returns them within the area of thecrusher blades for further processing. All the matter that has beensufficiently processed passes on through the baflle screen to bedeposited upon the surface of the area being covered. So that there isnot too much of a build-up of pressure from rotating booster fan 2 innozzle I2, said nozzle is the same width as intake nozzle H, but asshown in Fig. 2, the depth of exhaust nozzle I2 is considerably greaterthan that of nozzle II. This also allows for a greater area spread ofthe mulch which is extruded from the machine under reduced pressure.

Inasmuch as intake nozzle I l and exhaust nozzle [2 are in longitudinalalignment and the same height from the ground, the space cleaned bynozzle I I is quickly fertilized by the mulch from exhaust nozzle I2.

To compensate for the irregular contour of the land over which thedevice is propelled, self-aligning bearings are provided so that thereis no distortion of any kind. This allows for the lateral movement ofthe chopper unit from side to side while in forward movement over theground being processed. The device is not self-propelled, but the fourpoint suspension, using rubber-tired wheels, makes the same very easy topush while in motion, and the long handle 38 makes for simple steeringand turning.

When using the device for seeding purposes, it is simply necessary toplace the seed required in hopper 39 and open stop 40 so that the holesin the bottom of the hopper are in vertical alignment with the holes inthe top of intake nozzle H. When the power is turned on and the fans aremoving, the seed is drawn down into nozzle H and drawn through crusherchamber I0 and into exhaust nozzle l2, which in turn distributes theseed over an area at least as great as the size of the bottom of nozzle12.

When using the self-contained crusher unit shown in Figs. 7 and 8, ofthe drawings, the user has simply to plug in the motor 50 to anelectrical outlet with sufficient cord to allow the same to be pushedover the area desired to be cleaned. Once motor armature shaft on motor59 is rotating, belt 53 in turn rotates pulley 52 secured to power shaftI 9 rotating the same as explained in operating the crusher chamber inthe twounit device, the crusher unit of Figs. '7 and 8 being identicalin construction. Any type of power may be substituted for the electricmotor shown, but many people prefer an electric motor due to the easystarting of same compared with a gasoline engine of the type used onpower mowers. Hopper 39 may also be secured to intake nozzle H of thismodel, if desired, and the same converted into a seeder as aboveexplained.

While I have described and illustrated a satisfactory device that hasproven highly successful in practical operation, it will be understoodthat the invention is not limited to specific constructional detailsshown and described, but that many changes, variations, andmodifications may be resorted to without departing from the principlesof my invention.

I claim:

1. A combined lawn sweeper and material disintegrator comprising amobile horizontally disposed cylinder, forming a body member and havinga nozzle member at oneend thereof provided with a downwardly directedinlet opening and a discharge nozzle member at the other end of thecylindrical body member provided with a. downwardly directed outletopening, a screen extending diametrically across the cylindrical bodymember intermediate the inlet and outlet ends thereof, a shaft extendingaxially into the cylinder and projecting beyond the outlet end thereof,power driven means on said shaft for actuating the same, a suctioncreating fan mounted on said shaft adjacent the inlet end of thecylinder, and chopper blades mounted on said shaft between the suctionfan and the screen, whereby when the fan is in operation loose materialis picked up by the inlet nozzle member, passed through the fan andchopper blades to disintegrate such material, and disintegrated materialof predetermined maximum size is discharged through the outlet nozzlemember onto the ground after having passed through the screen.

2. A combined lawn sweeper and material disintegrator as set forth inclaim 1, wherein a booster fan is mounted on said power shaft at theopposite end of the cylinder from the first mentioned suction creatingfan.

3. A combined lawn sweeper and material disintegrator as set forth inclaim 1', wherein a power unit, including power means for actuating thepower shaft, is carried upon a mobile chassis, said mobile chassishaving longitudinally spaced bearings mounted on said power shaft,thereby permitting tilting of the power unit relative to saidcylindrical body member.

4. A combined lawn sweeper and material disintegrator as set forth inclaim 1, wherein the inlet and discharge nozzle members are flaredoutwardly from the upper to the lower portions thereof and each isprovided with an enlarged mouth portion adjacent the ground level.

5. A combined lawn sweeper and material disintegrator as set forth inclaim 1, wherein a peripheral strip of screen material is providedWithin the cylindrical body member surrounding the chopper blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,105,803 Barnes Jan. 13, 1938 2,244,987 Faulkner June 10,1941 2,476,465 Tarrant July 19, 1949 2,538,643 Gregory Jan. 16, 19512,590,734 Strong Mar. 25, 1952

